News: Disneyland announces major updates coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland in 2019 and immersed fans into a new land in ways never seen before at the Happiest Place on Earth. Roaming characters and land-specific verbiage (you may be greeted with “Bright suns” instead of “Good morning”) painted the picture of Batuu, a remote outpost where the story of Galaxy’s Edge took place.

Another important detail to the story of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was the timeline. It was explicit that guests visiting Galaxy’s Edge are experiencing the Star Wars universe somewhere between Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. 

Seven years after it first opened (I cannot believe it has been that long), Galaxy’s Edge is set to receive its biggest update that essentially obliterates that timeline, making the land more timeless — literally.

Disney started to hint that the timeline assigned to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could become a thing of the past in 2023 when Din Djarin, a.k.a. The Mandalorian, was introduced as a walk-around character in the land (an Ahsoka Tano meet and greet debut later that same year). For those less familiar with the Star Wars universe, the Disney+ series The Mandalorian takes place around five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI — The Empire Strikes Back and approximately 25 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.

TL;DR: the Mandalorian doesn’t fit in the original timeline of Galaxy’s Edge.

With Grogu in tow, the Mandalorian’s presence in Galaxy’s Edge got fans talking that Disney could be considering a reversal on its stance on the Galaxy’s Edge timeline, and now we know with certainty that the way we experience this immersive land is about to change in major ways. These changes roll out on April 29, 2026.

Original Star Wars trilogy characters coming to Galaxy’s Edge

One of the starkest examples of Disney sunsetting the original Galaxy’s Edge timeline is in the form of the characters being added to the land’s lineup. As of April 29, 2026, you’ll be able to spot Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker in Galaxy’s Edge (the Galactic Civil War and New Republic). With Darth Vader arriving, Kylo Ren will move to the Disney Visa character meet and greet experience in Tomorrowland.

If you’re on the lookout for these characters, Disney gave us some hints on where you may find them. Luke Skywalker will roam the outpost seeking knowledge of the Force and artifacts related to lightsaber building, kyber crystals, and more. Leia Organa may be spotted near the Millennium Falcon, where she’ll recruit travelers and locals to help keep Luke safe. Han Solo also will linger around his prized ship, tempted by the local cantina.

According to Disney, Rey and the Resistance will continue their fight against the First Order in the Resistance Camp. This suggests that the Resistance Camp area of Galaxy’s Edge will remain in the newer trilogy (the Age of Resistance and First Order) timeline between Episodes VIII and IX, with the Outer Rim outpost area where you can spot the O.G. trilogy characters (Galactic Civil War and New Republic).

The forested area on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost will also represent the Age of the Resistance timeline, as that is where you’ll find Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

You may also spot Rey in this area of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as these changes are rolled out. Over by the marketplace, you can spot Ahsoka Tano, the Mandalorian, and Grogu.

READ MORE: TIMELINE OF CHANGES COMING TO DISNEYLAND AND BEYOND

John Williams’ Star Wars score will play throughout Galaxy’s Edge

Sound and music will play another huge role in the reimagining of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park. As of April 29, the land will be filled with the sweeping, iconic John Williams score from the first six Star Wars films. Recognizable motifs from the main Star Wars theme will greet guests as they enter Batuu. Other selections will include “Han Solo and the Princess,” “The Desert and the Robot Auction,” “The Emperor,” and more.

Listen closely the next time you visit Oga’s Cantina. The fan favorite tune “Cantina Band” will join the lineup of songs that plays in the popular lounge space.

Per Disney, Oga’s Cantina is now joining the Galactic Civil War timeline, where “proprietor Oga Garra only recently opened this watering hole, which is already becoming a popular spot for intergalactic travelers.”

New story details coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

In addition to original trilogy characters and musical selections being added to Galaxy’s Edge, other small but noticeable changes in details will be implemented throughout the land. For example, the First Order Cargo shop will be renamed to Black Spire Surplus, offering “artifacts from across the history of the galaxy.”

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities will begin to display new, one-of-a-kind items from its past. Over at Droid Depot, an earlier generation of the Mubo family will now be prototyping the BB style of droid, setting the shop in an earlier timeline. And Savi’s Workshop may include appearances by Luke Skywalker as he searches “for information on lightsabers and the Force.” The shopping experiences at Savi’s and Droid Depot will remain the same.

Previously announced changes coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Big changes were already on the way to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge before these latest announcements. Starting this May, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will feature a brand-new storyline centered around the Mandalorian and Grogu. This new mission will bring passengers to new destinations, including Bespin, Coruscant, and the Death Star wreckage near Endor.

The new storyline will also feature a new responsibility for those guests assigned to the Engineer position. You’ll now have to look after Grogu as part of the mission!

These changes will launch on May 22, 2026 at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

READ MORE: YOUR MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE TO DISNEYLAND RESORT IN 2026

News: Disneyland Announces Major Updates Coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was originally published on The World of Spark.

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